Evolution and Civic Engagement: A Multiyear CampusWide UNCW Learning Community

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Evolution and Civic Engagement A Multi-year
Campus-Wide UNCW Learning Community

• Walter Thomas Schmid
• Evolution Learning Community
• University of North Carolina Wilmington

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Focus of civically engaged higher education

• Ideas and events that shape thought and passions
  of a whole people
• Fundamental public debates
• Meaning of racial integration in American
  democracy, identity, law and society
• Scientific, religious, educational, and public
  policy issues relating to evolution

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Event-based campus-wide multidimensional learning
communities at UNCW

• Brown v. Board of Education LC
• 50th anniversary of decision (2004)
• Semester-long learning community
• Darwin anniversaries (2009)
• Bicentennial of birth
• Sesquicentennial of Origin of Species
• Multi-year Evolution Learning Community
  (2006-2009)

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Purpose of campus-wide LCs

• Promote learning in and out of classroom
• Build synergy and civic engagement in students
  and faculty
• Promote creativity, research and innovative
  pedagogy
• Interdisciplinary reflection
• Connect academia and society

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Evolution Learning Community

• Evolution The Changing Shape of Life

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Origins of ELC

• Grassroots effort initiated by multidisciplinary
  group of faculty (2004)
• Organized subcommittees (2004-2005)
• curriculum, educational outreach, events/programs
  
• brainstormed activities, programs, events
• Elected 3-person Executive Council (2005)
• Initial meetings with university administrators
  (2005-2006)
• Initial commitments of funding (2006-2007)

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Relationship to ADP

• The nations economic competitiveness, security,
  and prosperity depend in large measure on its
  scientific and technological innovation. ADP
  website
• Anti-science profound political issue
• Liberal society separation of Church/State
• Global society politics
• Integrity of science necessary for democracy

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Policy issue evolution and science education

• Evolution fundamental to science anti-evolution
  is anti-science
• Attacks on evolution education widespread at
  national, state, and local level
• Santorum amendment
• warning labels in textbooks
• Intelligent design mandates
• Deletion of evolution from curriculum

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Purpose of ELC

• Community Dialogue on scientific, social, and
  moral significance of evolution in all of its
  multidimensional aspects
• Educational impact
• basic education of UNCW students
• disciplinary education
• Increase awareness critical discussion of
• Evolutionary principles in natural and social
  sciences
• Relationship to philosophical, historical,
  artistic, and literary modes of reflection on life

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ELC 2007-2008

• Public lectures by
• Paul Ewald
• Stephen OBrien
• Kenneth Miller
• New classes
• Faculty/Senate commitment
• Administrative commitment

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ELC 2008-2009

• 90 linked classes in 2008-2009
• Darwin Scholars
• Great Tennessee Monkey Trial play
• Ecotone, JET issues
• Darwins Legacy student conference
• Student publication
• Galapagos travel
• www.uncw/evolution

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Darwin Scholars

• David Buss
• Niles Eldredge
• Tina Gianquitto
• Philip Kitcher
• Dirk Johnson
• Richard Leakey
• David Mindell
• David Quammen
• Eugenie Scott
• Sarah Tishkoff

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Resources to ELC for 2008-2009

• 4 faculty research grants, 12,000
• 2 CTE teaching initiative awards 6000
• Darwin Scholars Lecture series 50,000
• David Buss, Niles Eldredge, Philip Kitcher, David
  Mindell, Eugenie Scott, Sarah Tishkoff
• Richard Leakey, David Quammen lectures 20,000
• Program administrator ¼ release time 20,000
• PhD student stipend 8000
• Great Tennessee Monkey Trial 16,000
• Student Conference 25,000

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Some ELC People

• UNCW Tricia
  Kelley Tom Schmid Dale McCall -- Paul Hosier
  -- Rosemary De Paolo -- Kate Bruce -- Scott
  James -- Mike McCartney -- Alina Szmant --Christy
  Visaggi
• Scholars and Artists Ed Asner and John de
  Lancie --David Buss--Cornelia Dean -- Niles
  Eldredge--Paul Ewald --Richard Leakey--Ken Miller
  --Stephen OBrien--David Quammen -- Eugenie Scott
  Sarah Tishkoff -- E. O.
  Wilson

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Other activities

• K-12 Teacher outreach
• Faculty workshops
• Galapagos Honors trip
• Curricular impact
• Public outreach events
• Fall 2009 events
• Nobel laureatte
• N.C. Darwin scholars
• Closing evening

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Challenges

• Resources
• Faculty time demands
• Fear of controversy
• Deans Council
• Internal opponents
• Common reading
• Curricular change